Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

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by Karen M. Stufflebeam, Psy.D., Post-Doctoral Intern: Family Service Inc.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is categorized as an anxiety disorder according to the American Psychological Association and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision. One in fifty adults currently struggle with OCD, which equals out to about one to two percent of the United States population. OCD typically presents itself between the ages of eight and twelve and either re-emerges or presents itself for the first time in the late teens/mid twenties, but can present itself for the first time as late as forty years of age. OCD presents itself equally among adult men and women, but is typically more prevalent in males during the childhood years. OCD symptoms wax and wane over the years, with significant distress from symptoms occurring around stressful times in the individual's life.

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Resource Organizations » Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

7 listing(s), including 3 offering support groups

In Massachusetts

Boston University Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders

www.bu.edu/card/
648 Beacon Street
6th Floor
Boston, MA  02215
617-353-9610
The Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders (CARD) at Boston University specializes in the research, evaluation, and treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adults. The website includes clinical descriptions of common anxiety-related conditions such as phobias, OCD, panic disorder, eating disorders, and generalized anxiety disorder. The site also lists opportunities to participate in research studies and receive services free of charge.

Children of Hoarders: Massachusetts

childrenofhoarders.com/wordpress/?page_id=4021
Offers support group(s)
COH provides helpful links to help a family member who hoards. These include links to therapists, professional organizers, cleaning companies, and applicable laws and regulations. The website also has information about hoarding support groups and family support groups.

Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Greater Boston

www.ocfoundation.org
Offers support group(s)
115 Mill Street
Belmont, MA  02478
The Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation of Greater Boston (OCF/GB) was formed in 1995 by a small group of people diagnosed with OCD, their families and friends. This affiliate of the International OCD Foundation was organized in response to the absence of local support groups and educational resources. Although its name suggests a jurisdiction limited to the Greater Boston area, it extends its services in Massachusetts and Southern New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine.
The primary goals of the organization are: to assist individuals afflicted with OCD identify, seek, and gain access to appropriate support and affordable treatment; to provide education and information about OCD and related disorders to sufferers and their families; and to assist those diagnosed with OCD to become recognized as valuable members of their community.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness

namimass.org
400 West Cummings Park
Suite 6650
Woburn, MA  01801
781-938-4048
Toll Free: 800-370-9085
Fax: 781-938-4069
The National Alliance on Mental Illness maintains a helpline for informaion on mental illnesses and referrals to local groups. The local self-help groups have support and adocacy components and offer education and information about community services for families and individuals. For information about the Alliance's affiliates and activities in MA, contact NAMI Massachusetts.

Outside Massachusetts

Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA)

www.adaa.org
Offers support group(s)
8701 Georgia Ave
Suite 412
Silver Spring, MD  20910
240-485-1001
The Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the prevention, treatment and cure of anxiety disorders and to improve the lives of all people who suffer from them. ADAA is dedicated to informing the public, health care professionals, and media that anxiety disorders are real, serious, and treatable. ADAA promotes professional and public awareness of anxiety and related disorders (such as PTSD, OCD, panic disorder, social anxiety) and their impact on people's lives. The organization also links people who need treatment with the health care professionals who provide it. The ADAA website also provides listings of anxiety disorder support groups offered across the United States.

The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation

bbrfoundation.org/
60 Cutter Mill Road, Suite 404
Great Neck, NY  11021
800-829-8289
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD, the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression) is committed to alleviating the suffering of mental illness by awarding grants that will lead to advances and breakthroughs in scientific research. The BBR Foundation offers news on the research it funds as well as information (documents and videos) about these and other disorders in children and adults. It also provides guidance and resources for families coping with a child or parent with mental illness.

Worry Wise Kids

worrywisekids.org
This site was launched because of the urgent need to address the growing needs of our children to be equipped to cope with and overcome the stress, worry and anxieties in their life. Our mission is to improve the quality of life for anxious children and their families by providing parents, educators and mental health professionals with comprehensive, user-friendly information on the full range of anxiety disorders. Because children may be secretive about their worries and suffer in silence, our goal is to help adults who care about kids to be on the lookout for red flags. We offer information about treatment options, kid-friendly explanations for the mechanisms that create and maintain anxiety, parenting do's and don'ts, how to handle school issues and more.

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Additional Sources of Information

Disclaimer: Material on the MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service website is intended as general information. It is not a recommendation for treatment, nor should it be considered medical or mental health advice. The MSPP INTERFACE Referral Service urges families to discuss all information and questions related to medical or mental health care with a health care professional.